It’s that time of the season again – time to wrap up the season by voting in our end-of-season awards 🙂

First, some guidelines: I picked what I thought to be the most likely nominees for each category, just based on the vibes I’ve been getting from your comments all season. I know some of you are going to disagree. For that reason, I have allowed write-in votes…probably against my better judgement. HOWEVER, I’m asking you guys to PLEASE USE THE WRITE-INS SPARINGLY. Make sure the nominee you’re writing in isn’t already listed as one of the options, make sure it’s spelled correctly, and fits the scheme of the other nominees (i.e. if the category is “best dance”, you would write in something like “Kelly & Val’s paso doble”, and not just “Kelly”). If I cannot understand what you’ve written in, your vote is getting thrown out. If your write-in doesn’t make sense given the context, your vote is getting thrown out. There was an absolutely ridiculous (and unneccessary) number of write-ins in last season’s awards, and I almost said “f*ck it” and threw them all out, because some of you guys clearly didn’t know how to follow directions. Don’t bring me to the point of “f*ck it” again this season.

I will give you guys a week or two to get your votes in, and then we will reveal the results category by category in a series of posts. I’ve included a brief explanation of each award above each poll, since there seemed to be some confusion in last season’s polls. Now vote away!!! Read more..

After doing Good Morning America yesterday, our three finalists headed to The View where they were interviewed about their unions and journey on Dancing With The Stars. They also danced and brought the house down. Below is Val and Kelly dancing their Paso Doble. You can watch more in the full episode at The View’s official website.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Our three finalists on Dancing With The Stars were also on Good Morning America today. They look a little tired after flying all night from Los Angeles to New York City, but, they are in fun and rare form as always. They also play a “Two To Tango” game about knowing their partners. More here including a special message for Shawn at the end. Keep watching the link, ABC may post more videos of them being interviewed, etc.. If they don’t and you need another way to watch them, you can watch them at Codebear’s Dancing With The Stars Daily Motion channel here.

Below is some coverage from ET Online as well. Tony and Melissa are so cute with their reactions on winning. Some of the other couples also have some special words for them….

Here is more with PopTVDotCom on the after party…

For part one of our media round up and if you haven’t read or seen it yet, see our previous posting.

ADDING: For their On The Red Carpet interviews, go here. Also, don’t miss reading this new Extra piece. Below is a take. Though I have to say I think Maks is so rude for what he said.

“I’m still in shock,” said Dovolani, who won the Mirror Ball trophy for the first time since he’s been on the show. “I’m holding it close to my body because I don’t want it to not be real. I want it to stay like this.”

Tony continued, “Fourteen seasons I waited for this. My wife was in the audience and it’s our anniversary today, 13th year, so for me this means so much.”

Fellow dancer Maks Chmerkovskiy was happy for his friend. “He truly earned it,” laughingly adding, “He deserved it from all those ridiculous partners he had. Whoever you are, you know who you are.”

Pro-dancer Derek Hough also hinted that this may be his last season on “DWTS.” He told Renee, “I’ll always want to be a part of the show. I love it to death. It’s been amazing,” but, “It feels like a good way to segue…”

In parting words, Dovolani, who has been one of “Extra’s” special correspondents, smiled, “You know what’s next for me professionally? That mic!”

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Lot’s of media on tap for today after the crowning the Dancing With The Stars All Stars Champs (All of them! They are truly all winners in my opinion!), but, here’s what we’ve got so far with Jimmy Kimmel, Access Hollywood, and E News. First, let’s go straight to Jimmy Kimmel. He says even though ABC has declared Melissa and Tony the winners, they are still waiting for the votes in Florida to make it legal. He’s a hoot as usual!

Access Hollywood:

Below is a take from E News. Note how Melissa thought Shawn had won. Kelly is not disappointed she didn’t win. They are all winners….

“To be honest, when it was the two of us there I assumed [Shawn] won. I thought, ‘Keep your smile on,'” Melissa revealed about being up there with the Olympic gymnast and Derek Hough, adding that she and Tony went into shock when their name was called.

Meanwhile, Kelly and Val Chmerkovskiy were not upset that they came in third.

“No, there is nothing to be disappointed about with this all-star season,” Kelly told us backstage. “It was anyone’s win. We were all winners. Melissa didn’t have one of those stupid mirror balls, and Val is young enough, he has enough seasons left in him. I think Tony deserved it, he’s been here probably one of the longest.”

The are-they-or-aren’t-they couple plan to celebrate with “a perpetual cycle of champagne bottles,” according to Val.

“I can’t wait to be so hungover that I have to be in bed for three days,” laughed Kelly.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

All in all, I found the results show pretty entertaining. Totally shocked that Melissa pulled the Samba and that the ball was broken open already. Totally. :::smirk::: Okay, not really. That should take care of the white space…oh, except it seemed like Courtney and I could have written most of dance center. Anyway…

The Winner is – Melissa and Tony!!

Second Place: Shawn and Derek!

Third Place: Kelly and Val!

Congratulations to all the couples!! How did we do??

Heidi: I said Melissa would win and that Shawn would be in second place.

Courtney: Also said Melissa would win and that Shawn would be in second place.

Vogue: Said Shawn would pull it out and that Melissa would be in second place.

Heh….anyone note who hoisted Melissa on his shoulders while the C brothers were all over Tony?? Yeah…paging Maks fans. Remember all your complaining?? 😀

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Dancing With The Stars Louis Van Amstel is back with a new blog at ABC. He reviews last night’s dances and gives an update on he and Sabrina. He also gives us a little preview for the performances tonight. This is going to be interesting, hmmm?

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the entire cast, except for the final three couples, had to do all group rehearsals on Sunday. Even though it was a crazy long day of rehearsal we had so much fun, joking, laughing, and pranking each other all day. I actually can’t believe with all that going on we were still able to be productive. Kuddos to Lacey Schwimmer who choreographed the finale group number and kept us all in line when necessary.

During tonight’s finale, the two group dances — “Gangnam Style” and “Call Me Maybe” — will be performed again with former competitors Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson replacing finalists Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy and Helio Castroneves and Chelsie Hightower and Drew Lachey and Anna Trebunskaya taking the place of Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough and Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani. I have to say seeing Joey and Kym do “Gangnam style” is absolutely hilarious. That routine was made for him. I laughed so hard when I saw it during camera blocking.

Tonight the champions will be revealed after they dance the unpredictable “Instant dance,” which is either a Samba, Cha Cha or Jive. No one knows which one they will have until they pull the dance out of a hat at the beginning of the show. It’s going to be very interesting!

Also coming up tonight, the eliminated couples will each perform a routine, either an existing dance or a brand new one. Sabrina and I will dance our “Wanted” Rumba, which was so special to both of us. (Hopefully many of you who had no power due to Hurricane Sandy to watch will enjoy this emotional Rumba!) There will also be kids dancing with some of the celebrity couples. These kids are fearless and amazing. You’re going to love it.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

I’m going to repeat what I said in the comments in another post early yesterday:

Congratulations to all three ladies for making it to the finale – you all won. Seriously, you did.

Kelly wins because she blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. I don’t think she should win, but she should be extremely proud of what she’s accomplished. I don’t think this was really a win for Val, but those of you who are regulars already know what I think on this subject. 🙂

Melissa and Tony – huge winners. Melissa showed a lot of growth and she’s just so NICE and likeable. I really love the girl and I won’t be devastated if she wins. Tony? Fan-freakin’-tastic season for him. He’s often been considered, by myself and others, as too reliant on the syllabus and often unimaginative in terms of chore – he blew that away this season. Fantastic job. Yes, huge risk with the freestyle because the slow, quiet ones don’t often win, but you get credit for balls. Although I’m a Shawn/Derek fan, I may cry if Tony wins because I’m a real sucker for that story (and that’s the reason why I think they may just win). (Side Note: Intel says you WILL cry if they air Derek’s confessional with Shawn. Apparently he’s very emotional and the implication from what I heard is because it is indeed his last season. I could go on, but I won’t. He’s also apparently surprised by his own reaction.)

Shawn and Derek – hands down the best dancers of the season and not only that, Derek out did even himself in terms of choreography and creativity. He really is the King of Choreography, to quote numerous media outlets and Adam Shankman. Naysayers that claim she’s all tricks and lifts? I will quote Bill Clinton – it’s simple ARITHMETIC. Yes, I did just quote Bill Clinton because it’s appropriate. 🙂 Take Melissa’s Lindy, Caveman Hustle, AT and Freestyle and COUNT. Then count all the lifts/tricks in Shawn’s entire season. Get back to me with the results. Heh. 🙂 Anyway, regardless of the actual WIN (which they may not get) they are the biggest winners of all. Derek has set a standard that few can measure up to, as has Shawn. In a years’ time, when people look back on this season, Derek and Shawn’s will be the dances that most easily spring to mind – although I have no doubt that some will go to their grave denying that fact. 🙂 That’s a win, no matter how you slice it.

Anyway, I think it comes down to Melissa and Shawn and, as of right now, Shawn’s fans had serious work to do in order to make up the deficit. Everything hinges on the instant dance. If the margin stays the same or gets wider between Shawn and Melissa, I have to give it to Melissa – too many people are buying into the pity party and Derek’s fantastic record may come back to haunt him. Derek – please leave this show. You are so destined for bigger and better things. You are not fully appreciated and you won’t be until you’re gone.

Anyway, what are our numbers after the first two dances?

I’m a firm believer in two things:

– The judges have an overwhelming desire to be RIGHT. Meaning that they will sway their scoring tonight so that it reflects what they’ve been told about the voting. The only question is how stupid they are about it – do they really understand the math? Doubtful.

– The overwhelming need for the producers to have DRAMA. The need to make it a horse race at all times. JR was not in the lead going into the final night, neither was Donald. I’m sure there are others. I don’t think they have a stake in who wins, as long as it’s exciting. Do I know what this means? Not until it’s over. 🙂

These two things – which are mainly observations that I will post on in more detail in a week or so – lead me to not really know what’s going to happen. Did they overscore Kelly and over hype Melissa because that’s how the voting is going?? Or did they over penalize Shawn because she’s running away with it and want a come from behind win?? What story are they trying to sell?? Because rest assured, this show is all about the story. Normally I would say – Occam’s Razor, which states (roughly): The simplest explanation is the most likely to be accurate. Of course, that also assumes that you don’t have 15 seasons worth of data to study on which to base your theories. 🙂

Of course, that doesn’t take into account actual VOTING. And at the end of the show last night, my feeling was similar to Courtney’s but I’ll be more blunt about it – the pity vote/good story vote for Melissa and Tony is a lot stronger than simply amazing dancing. And that is nearly always true on this show. Yes, Melissa is a good dancer too, but in terms of WOW factor? No contest. But, I think that Melissa will likely win because of that prevailing “Oh, we must pick them because they’ve never won before.” In my mind, DWTS has become pee wee baseball. Everyone must have a trophy. Sad. Simple minded. It will lead to less exciting dancing and mediocrity. Anyway…

As you can see, Derek and Shawn have a ways to go if all things remain the same. In order for Shawn to WIN, she needs both of the following things:

– Shawn needs to get 11,400 more votes per million votes cast than Kelly, AND;

– Shawn needs to get 17,100 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa.

Not a huge amount, normally, but this is the finale. Who knows? I honestly don’t know. Besides, everything hinges on the instant dance. I can’t imagine that anyone will get a 30 on it, but let’s say they all get 27. That would then mean that Shawn needs both of the following:

– Shawn needs to get 7,800 more votes per million votes cast than Kelly, AND;

– Shawn needs to get 11,700 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa.

That’s a pretty sizeable difference. It also puts Kelly in easy striking difference of Melissa. Prior to tonight’s dancing, Kelly needs the following to win:

– Kelly needs for Shawn to NOT get 11,400 more votes per million votes cast, AND;

– Kelly needs to get 5,700 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa.

That doesn’t look too hard does it? Well, it’s the finale. But look how an even distribution of instant dance points tonight helps her. Helps Shawn too. The only person it doesn’t help is Melissa, because it closes the gap a good bit. If all three ladies get 27, Kelly would then need all of the following to win:

– Kelly would need for Shawn to NOT get 7,800 more votes per million votes cast, AND;

– Kelly would need to get 3,900 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa.

Heh. Yes, Kelly is in striking distance of Melissa…but Shawn is also a LOT closer to Kelly. In this scenario, I could see Shawn winning and Kelly taking second. Will it go that way? No idea. I tend to doubt it.

The ONLY beneficial way for this to go for Melissa is if she wins the instant dance round. If she takes it, I think it solidifies a win for her. If she gets second or third, it’s anybody’s game. Let’s take a look at what happens if they rank them and Melissa gets second place, Kelly taking third; that is, Shawn gets a 30, Melissa 28 and Kelly a 26 – I don’t know they’re going to do this, only that they have done it in the past. If that’s how it plays out, Shawn would still be in second place with 87 points, but only by a point. Kelly would be in third with 85 points. For Kelly to win in this situation, she would need BOTH of the following to happen:

– Kelly would need 7,700 more votes per million votes cast than Shawn, AND;

– Kelly would need 11,600 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa.

For Shawn to Win, she would need for Kelly to not get those votes to pass her and she would ONLY need 3,900 more votes per million votes cast than Melissa.

There are a hundred different scenarios that I could expound on at length, but since I don’t have a good feel for what it is they’re going for or if they are at the point they’re going to throw it to the viewers – I’m not going to bother. Heck, they could even go back to giving out a 10, a 9, and an 8 which gives the edge back to Melissa.

At the end of the day, my feeling is the voters will go the sympathy route of “Tony and Melissa have never won before” – which is stupid. This is the all star season – it’s supposed to be the best of the best. How can you be the best of the best if you’ve NEVER won before? The simple answer is – you can’t.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Last year’s champ Donald Driver was a guest on Good Morning America today. He reviews Monday night’s finale dances on Dancing With The Stars. He thinks Shawn Johnson stole the show. He also talks of Melissa and how she deserved her “30’s, but, he still thinks Shawn will win. He supports Shawn and Derek’s quickstep and the risk of doing it without any changes because it’s all about the fan votes at the end of the day. Donald also comments for how he would like to see Melissa win because it would be her first mirror ball.

“Still the champ” …Donald Driver. You can watch his interview in full at Good Morning America HERE.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

What a finale on Dancing With The Stars last night and one I don’t think I’ll soon forget, but, let’s not forget, more is on tap for tonight including the Instant dances. George Pennacchio tries to find out what he can on them, but, he doesn’t get much information except that the couples were headed straight to rehearsals after the show last night. However, he does get their reactions on their dances last night and also asks them what they want to do “when it’s all over”….

First up, Tony and Melissa! They are so happy and full of excitement. Tony says he’s so proud of Melissa. It’s been the most amazing ride. When this is all over, Melissa says she wants to be proud of what the accomplished and she also wants to win. Tony wants to see the mirror ball on his mantel. They did everything they could and left their hearts on the dance floor. For the instant dance, they hope to sort it out. Maks comes to hug Tony and calls him a secret name. Maks also tells Tony that he loved him.

Kelly says the night felt good. George tells Val he was wise for their song choice. Val explains how they did it to represent their journey and what they’ve went through. Kelly has a hard time saying what she wants when this competition is all over, but, finally mentions wanting a pedicure playing it safe. Val just wants to go home and enjoy his family and the proud look on their faces. For the instant dance, they have a choice of three and they were going straight to rehearsals.

Derek and Shawn talk of why they didn’t change their repeat dance and broke rules again. They wanted to entertain the most of all and be who they are as a couple. When this is all over, Shawn wants to go see her family. Derek wants to gain 10 pounds, get healthy, and enjoy Christmas with his family.

For more with Derek and Shawn, be sure to visit Pure Derek Hough. Heidi has an awesome media round up on them including more OTRC interviews!!

Access Hollywood interviewed the couples as well. Tony and Melissa talk of why they took a risk with their freestyle. They knew they had to do something different. Kelly and Val just wanted to do something that was about their journey like they’ve been doing all season. “If it’s not broken, why fix it”…. Read more..

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.